To Keep Going Until The End Of Time

 Certain aspects of training can be put into perspective when you look at it from a certain point of view. In most of my workouts with the Dopa Band, I set a stop watch and see how long it takes to do 10 rounds with the only break marking off the circuit. Sometimes it goes 13 minutes, at times 20 or more minutes but my intention is to always do 10 Rounds or more with little to no rest. It keeps me in shape and its great for rehab if it came down to it. Conditioning is an asset that many underestimate or don't know the true understanding of how useful it really is especially as we get older.

One of my favorite styles of training is to set a time and do a superset continuously until the timer is up. Just focus on the exercises, don't worry or rush the rounds or sets and just hammer out the reps as best as you can until your time is up. The objective is to not stop, adjusting is one thing because you may slow down a bit after a period or tune up the band so to speak as you keep going but you don't stop. That's a test of mental toughness and endurance. I tried this style yesterday doing 4 exercises with the dopa band for 30 min without stopping. No checking off or walking it off, I kept going at a clip that was comfortable for me to where I wasn't getting sloppy but I wasn't going Sonic The Hedgehog either. 

It's about doing what you can to keep your levels up and teaching your body to not get tired or have some gas left in the tank when you're done. It's not about pounding your body into an oblivion and being so damn sore you can't move the next day. Training for the most part is to progress with intent and being aware of what your body can do without needing to go to extremes. As time goes on, we adjust to what we can maintain for life long health. Having strength is never a bad thing but we don't just want our strength to be temporary, it's critical to have it last for as long as we can. 

Conditioning is a component of training we can't afford to lose. If you want to play with the kids, go on hikes, swimming, climbing flights of stairs without issues, taking a stroll through the park; conditioning needs and should be a part of all that in order to live a quality life. Use your energy when it calls for it, be able to keep going when others get tired, harness that gas in the tank mentality to do the fun things in life.

Keep being amazingly awesome. 

Dopa Band Conditioning Workout

 Yesterday, I did one of the most intense workouts I've ever experienced and if you know how intense I can be, that's saying something. It was one of those workouts that has that inspiration from Wrestling and testing my mental toughness to the point where I just needed to see what I can continue to do to keep going.

This particular workout was divided into two parts (all together did my best to rest as little as possible where I only really marked off the set) with doing work with the Dopa Band and Step Ups just using my bodyweight. The Step Ups provided a cardio element while the Band was done with explosive movements and fast paced work. It was so intense that by the end, I thought my heart was going to rip out of my chest. Did a total of three exercises with the band and 2 supersets of exercises were added in to really tackle my conditioning and mental toughness.

Here's how it went down....

-Dopa Training & BW Step Ups

Alt Waves x 15/15 For 10 Rounds

4x50 Step Ups (25 per leg) = 200

Superset 1

Alt Rows x 50 (25 Per Arm) 

Step Ups x 50 (25 Per Leg) 

4 sets totaling 200 of each exercise 

Superset 2

Run/Sprint & Slam 20 lb Slamball (video below) x 10 

Step Ups x 50 (25 Per Leg) 

4 sets totaling 40 + 200

Total of 600 Step Ups during the workout.

So as you see the first part was just doing a timed exercise for several minutes and than going into Step Ups, the next segment was the Supersets. The second superset just about killed me as I was literally doing a sprint to the slamball and then picking it up and slamming it repeatedly until I hit a number of times and then doing step ups immediately afterwards while my lungs were still on fire. Only by marking off the set and getting back into position was my only rest and pacing myself with both exercises tested me in a way that I haven't experienced before.

This was the type of training that isn't meant for beginners and it takes on another level that was just unbelievable. I have no clue how I'm not sore AF today. It was hard and even for me, I wouldn't do it again any time soon because this wasn't something I had planned, I did it because I wanted to see if I could do it. This was more of a challenge than anything. This was probably the closest to a workout outside of wrestling that was so damn crazy, you'd have to have a sadistic mind to even try it. It was explosive, exhausting and it nearly put me on my ass. No question wrestlers have done workouts far worse than this but I'm proud that I was able to do it. 

I don't recommend you do this if you're not in shape or new to training. I would also say, be sure you're flexible and loosened up your joints because your whole body will come into play and you don't want to tear something especially in your knees or ankles. It's hard, it's rough and it doesn't care who you are, if you're still standing there's something to write home about. 

To get an idea of the Run/Sprint & Slam, here's a 30 second video of doing only 5 reps of the exercise which is more than enough for most in and of itself, adding onto it is just part of the nastiness. You will sweat, you will think about quitting and you will discover something you didn't know was there. If you're a wrestler or a world class athlete, you may find this workout tickling your feathers a bit. 

The One Hour Superset Broadway

 When you get an idea in your head and act on it, sometimes it turns out exactly like you thought of and other times it looks good on paper but it becomes more when it actually happens. Yesterday's big workout not only was an ass kicker but was also one of the craziest workouts I've ever done. For an hour nonstop, I went back and forth carrying a 50 lb sandbell and 20 step ups. I don't think I've ever gone that long without ever resting.

My goal was to do at least 40-44 sets in that period of time and managed 46. Throughout, I was going faster and was in such a zone that nothing else around me mattered and focused on one thing only. So think about this for a second, 46 times I carried that sandbell 20 yards (shoulder carried 10 yards each side) and did 20 step ups (10 each leg) which comes out to carrying 4600 lbs (2.3 tons) over a period of 920 yards and managed 920 step ups. Weird thing was, I didn't feel tired or sore. When it was over and the endorphins kicked in hard, it was like a wave of positive energy and one of the most relaxing things I've ever felt. 

This was a big test for me when it comes to conditioning and mental toughness. I wasn't expecting to move that efficiently and never once thought about quitting. It was like a part of me just shut down and let something take over. I don't know if it was some kind of trance or a level of stamina I didn't think I had but I kept going and nothing was going to stop me. That kind of workout is on another level of insanity and it's like that governor we have in our minds like a Jiminy Cricket guiding you and telling you when to stop just went out the window and kept the doors shut. It felt like I was the only person in the world in that moment.

That hour at times felt the longest in my life and as the workout progressed, it felt like the easiest thing ever yet it's one of the most challenging anyone can do. It felt effortless but I assure you, it wasn't easy. As I woke up today and already shoveled snow twice starting at around 415 in the morning, I didn't feel sore whatsoever, no pain, no concerning stiffness and just had a pretty good level of energy. Being out in 15 degree weather, just by myself and listening to the wind and the quietness around me, it felt peaceful. I'm going to be shoveling probably 2-3 more times today minimum and that's ok, just part of life and doing what you can. 

Workouts today might be more Micro Style like Isometrics or Chest Expander work but it's still a way to keep active and keeping the joints loose throughout the day. Just wanted to share my 60 minute Broadway training session and that it was intense but a great way to test myself physically and mentally. Will I do it again? Most likely not anytime soon but you never know. 

Give yourself a challenge today whether big or small and see what you're capable of. Don't hurt yourself or force anything. Make it worthwhile but not so hard that it's going to injure you. Be safe out there and keep being amazingly awesome.